Tuition going up at Alabama's community colleges

View full sizeBishop State Community College in Mobile, Ala. (Press-Register)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Tuition at Alabama's two-year colleges is going up by about 16 percent in a move that will raise more than $30 million in additional revenue.

The Alabama State Board of Education approved the price hike today. Officials say the increase comes at a time when state funding is decreasing and enrollment is increasing.

Tuition will go up from current rate of $92 per credit hour to $107 per credit hour. The increase takes effect this fall.

The Alabama Community College System says it's lost more than $100 million due to proration, or mandatory funding cuts caused by shortfalls in the state school budget. Funding is off more than $124 million since 2008.

The system has 22 community colleges and four technical schools statewide.